I decided to go for my masters degree in justice admin. My online class gave us a simple assignment to answer one of the questions at the end of this case study and reply to a classmate's answer. I decided to have a little fun with my reply.

"I also disagree about the first interaction being ethical. Any personal contact with a client or family member of a client outside a work-related environment can be misinterpreted in a number of ways by anyone witnessing. My biggest concern is... where's the mother? As the study says, he is required to stay away from alcohol and bars. What if the father isn't physically abusive to the child, but is on the negligent side? What if he's neither? Maybe he's put under that order simply because his child is in the program and it is the mother who was in fact abusive? Maybe his wife died and he's still grieving the loss love of his life? If she has the case file, wouldn't it tell her the father is abusive if he was? I still believe that accepting the drink was unethical, but even the officers were not sure what is ethical and unethical as far as the policy goes. They probably simply told her not to accept the drink on general principle. I also believe there's more to this study that what the book tells the reader. Her job description is to help children return home to safer environments by working closely with the parents. Perhaps originally that initial conversation was a way for her to gain information on her client. Maybe it was meant as a way to get more information on the client's mother and it escalated from there. It could be that by being in a relationship with this unfortunate and misunderstood man could provide the child with a safer home. Therefore, by vastly going outside the box, she has not only mended this man's broken heart but also provided this child with a new mother-figure and saved this family from disaster. .... I may have gotten ahead of myself... or missed a sentence..."